


A Forget-Me-Not Colored Rose

by VoldemortAtTheYuleBall



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Feels, Child Abandonment, Drama, Explicit Language, Family, Harry Potter Has a Sibling, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, OC death, Suicide trigger warning, angsty angsty angst angst angst, i would have made Drarry a thing but I wanted most things to be canon, if you are looking for anything romantic you won't find it here, namesake story, rose potter - Freeform, there might be a few lines of softly implied wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-23 20:15:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9674369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoldemortAtTheYuleBall/pseuds/VoldemortAtTheYuleBall
Summary: Rose Lily Potter. Some say she was killed the same night her parents were. Others forgot she existed altogether or never knew she did. But she didn't, she was very much alive. She made friends, helped fight Voldemort, and even saw harry walk through the halls and study in the common room. These are the missing pieces of her life put back together. Stolen moments of conversation and quiet pain sewn together to explain who she was, how she survived, and why she died. This is the story of Rose Weasley's namesake





	1. Famous Last Words

**Author's Note:**

> I know that Harry having a sibling is unoriginal but I worked hard to make this different than the others. If you have a suicide or abuse trigger be warned that you might want to not read this fic. Panic!, Passenger, or MCR fans might notice that the names of the chapters are song titles by them (there is also 2 by Fall Out Boy and 21 pilots), these are the only references to these artists. Slight language and dark themes. I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS FIC. I will try to update at least once a week but school might get in the way and it will come a few days late. I tried to stay within canon as much as possible and therefore used some dialogue from the books to make it so. I will accept all constructive criticism but, if you insist that it is bad because it is I will ignore your comment. All credit for characters exept my OC goes to JK Rowling my queen. This is my first fic, and I hope you enjoy.

If someone had stood in front of the brick garden wall they wouldn’t have seen it. They wouldn’t have seen the inviting emerald lawn dotted cheerfully with pink and yellow wildflowers or the varied grey walkway made of pebbles. Even if they had begun to walk towards the old abandoned house they thought they saw they would have felt the unexplained urge to leave this place. They would never reach the thick caramel colored wooden door that they didn’t know was there. This and only this kept the happy family of four alive inside the house. They smiled and laughed, unaware of the great and terrible thing that would happen that night, Halloween in Godric’s Hollow, 1980. Ignorance truly is bliss.

Inside, the roaring fire and reddish brown tones that dominated gave the home a warm and relaxing atmosphere. In the livingroom James Potter laughed airily, his hazel eyes reflecting his pride even through his glasses. He leaned over the baby who repeated what he had said to make his father smile. “Prons”

“Yes Harry, that’s it.” The animagus cooed to his green eyed son. The one year old giggled in response as his father nodded his head encouragingly, making his messy black hair bounce. Harry had started speaking late September and for the past couple of weeks James had all but used the imperius curse on him to make him say his nickname, Lily acted annoyed at his childish antics, but he knew that she didn’t mind. Her voice called from the kitchen.

“Brownies are ready” at those words, as if on cue, the delectable smell of said baked goods wafted into the living room. A moment later a woman of average height with fiery red hair walked in carrying a plate piled high with warm melted brownies. A small three year old girl who could have been mistaken for a clone of her mother if it hadn’t been for the wide hazel eyes she possessed trailed at her heels. She ran towards her baby brother and exclaimed happily.

“Harry we made brownies!” she kneeled on the ground and the two children giggled.

“Thanks love” James said to Lily pulling her close after she set the plate down on the mahogany coffee table and sat on the floor with her little family. He kissed her head and she picked up Harry saying.

“I only made them because the last few times you attempted cereal for Rosie ended with an explosion”

“Hey” James retorted, “cut me some slack, living with a house elf isn’t known for improving anyone’s cooking skills.”

“And that is why I’m glad we didn’t decide to hide out in Potter manor, besides, that it’s obvious.” At some point the group drifted to the couch and everyone but Harry (since he was a baby) grabbed a sticky warm brownie. The family curled up together and lay warm and content as they watched the fire die gently and slowly made their way through the plate of brownies that stayed warm due to a simple charm Lily had used.

“Happy Halloween Lils”

“Happy Halloween James” Rose decided to add her two knuts too the conversation as well.

“Happy Halloween Harry.” They all laughed a little at this even if, as in Harry’s case they were just laughing because everyone else was. And they were, the Potter’s were very happy.

After two half-hearted attempts at being responsible and coercing the children to bed on the part of Lily (and trying to get James to back her up which he didn’t do because “c’mon Lils it’s Halloween”) or a half an hour later, the family could be found contentedly lying in the same spot. At some point Lily had conjured a blanket and Rose and Harry yawned every five minutes but no one really felt like moving. They were all mentally deciding just to sleep where they already were when a booming thud sounded and the house shook to its foundation. The wards that had kept them hidden and alive had crumbled and now, the house could be seen by any passerby. Lily and James jumped up from the couch, suddenly wide awake. “Dammit Peter, you rat, we trusted you. Lily, take Harry and run, it’s him!” James said frantically.

“I’m staying and helping you.” she said it firmly but knew what his answer would be.

“No, one of us has to hide Harry, now run! I’ll hold him off.”

“Be careful”

“I love you Lily”

“I love you too James” she picked up Harry and ran upstairs. Rose was scared and confused, she didn’t know where to go. She knew that whatever it was, was coming in from the front door and decided that wherever Harry and her mum were going was the farthest away from the door. She followed. When she got upstairs she found her mum and Harry in the nursery. Her mother was kneeling in front of the crib talking to Harry through the wooden bars, wand in one hand and grasping the bar with the other. “Close the door Rosie” she did and then moved to lean on the wall across from the window and watched as Lily spoke to her son. “Harry, Mama loves you, Dada loves you, Harry be safe, be strong.” 

Downstairs, James scanned the room for his wand desperately - it wasn’t there. It was upstairs where he had left it, but he only had few moments left and he promised to hold him off. If he ran upstairs, the love of his life and beautiful children would be in even more danger. The decision was easy and he made it in a split second. Planting himself in front of the door he raised his fists. At that moment the door was blasted open, smattering the room with splinters as long as James's arm, and a man with a face like a snake stepped in slowly, almost as though he didn’t expect anything less than to have the entire family immediately bowing at his feet. “Potter, foolish Gryffindor, it seems that you intend to fight without a wand.” His voice was high, icy, and entirely void of any emotion. “Have you perhaps forgotten that wizards better than yourself have fought me with a wand and failed miserably?”

“So what if I don’t have a wand? I’ll punch you right in the nose!” James yelled, finishing his clever retort with a low whisper of “oh wait” if there weren’t a mass murderer standing in front of him, wand raised, he would have snickered, as it was, he almost did.

“I will not stand this disrespect!” Suddenly he flicked his wrist and brought down his wand with a swift motion accompanied by a scream of “AVADA KEDAVRA” James had no time to react. A flash of green light came and went and he fell, totally still to the floor, eyes glossy and unseeing, with glasses askew and one lens broken, staring empty at the ceiling.

As Lily finished speaking they heard a morbid thud. They all knew what it meant, even Harry, but none of them wanted to believe it. Lily stood, raising her wand and planting her feet so that she stood directly between the door and the crib. She looked directly into Rose’s eyes and Rose looked back, malachite green meeting warm hazel. She spoke two words, words that Rose would bear in mind for the rest of her life. “Protect him” she could only nod in return, she refused to talk lest she cry. Voldemort stepped over James and walked upstairs, each silent step echoing deafeningly with inevitable menacing death. Rose ran to the corner next to the closed door and was hidden there, face behind her knees moments before the door crashed to the floor. Lily’s wand flew from her hand as though it had a mind of its own.

“Step aside silly girl.”

“No please not Harry, kill me not Harry”

“Stand aside.”

“Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy.... Not Harry! Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything!” He chuckled humorlessly, insanity bouncing off the walls.

“You leave me no choice, AVADA KEDAVRA” A bloodcurdling scream reverberated clearly through the room as Lily was engulfed in neon green light and crumbled to the floor motionless and cold. Rose had turned away and didn’t dare watch anymore. Harry had been startled by the scream and begun to cry. Voldemort stepped over Lily just as he had James and towards the crying child, a frighteningly malicious smile on his face as he pointed his wand at the child, scarlett eyes glinting and whispered the curse again. This time though, he fell and Harry continued to sob even louder than before. 

Rose stood hesitantly, her small body shaking. In front of her was her worst nightmare and her happiest daydream. Somehow Harry was alive. She didn’t know how, but he was. He had a small cut on his forehead but he was alive and Voldemort was dead. But so was her mum. She walked towards the shell of her mother, stiff, cold, and dead, with the ghosts of her last tears still clinging to her cheeks. All she wanted to do was cry into that very woman’s arms but, she couldn’t and she never would again. She didn’t even bother to go downstairs. She didn’t want to be totally sure that he was dead, as long as she didn’t see his dead body, he could still possibly be alive. Harry continued to sob but she ignored him. She walked to her room shocked and flung herself on the bed. She screamed, cried, and acquired a stomachache from the sobs wracking her body and depriving her of air, eventually falling asleep listening to silence and the sound of her tears hitting the pillow. 

She awoke the next morning to find that it wasn’t, as she had hoped it had been, a horribly vivid nightmare. She heard Harry crying and reentered the room where the bodies lay. For the first time, she took a good look at the dead murderer, the site chilled her to the bone. Unlike the dead eyes of her mother, his were scarlet and still seemed on the verge of life. She resolved to never look at him again. She then remembered the reason she came in, and walked towards the crib, Harry was hungry. She didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t make food, she couldn’t even remove him from the crib. She did the only thing she could. Reaching through the bars she grabbed his hand and whispered “shh, Harry, it’s gonna be ok, Moony will come for us, or Padfoot, someone will. Someone will come for us. Shh, it’s ok, it’s ok” Eventually after continuing like this for a good while he calmed down, she put a few toys inside the crib and left the room. Slowly and after a great deal of hesitation, she ventured downstairs. When she saw the body the realization hit her like a bludger. They were dead, she hadn’t believed it truly until now but, it was true. They were dead. She sat down on the couch and stared at what used to be her father. Why? How? She stared for a while, remembering everything good about her parents. She had run out of all the tears she had for her entire life last night and all she could do anymore was stare.

She spent the afternoon waiting for someone to come back for them. After comforting Harry in the same manner as before a few more times and spending her time staring at him or just aimlessly walking around the house trying to ignore her own hunger, Rose heard heavy footsteps outside. She ran downstairs and into the front garden to find the massive form of Hagrid, walking towards her carrying his pink umbrella. “Well ‘ello Rosie”

“Hagrid!” she ran towards him, and wrapped her arm around his leg, holding on tightly to the person who came back. “Have you come too save me and Harry?”

“I’ve come on Dumbledore’s orders, though I woulda come anyway, mind. He sent me ter get Harry and take him to yer mum’s sisters house.”

“And I’m going with him?” Hagrid didn’t answer. He proceeded to enter the house. When he saw James’s body he let out a wail of misery and a few tears rolled from his small black eyes too his wooly beard. Rose bowed her head and they continued upstairs. They walked into the nursery and Hagrid gasped. 

“I didn’t believe it when Dumbledore told me.” Rose was confused but she ignored it for the sake of more important things.

“Where do I go?”

“‘Lo Harry” he said as he picked him up purposefully trying not to look at Lily’s body. “You need changing, c’mere” Hagrid placed Harry on the changing table and changed him. He lifted him up and wrapped him in a blanket and made his way downstairs followed by Rose who was getting annoyed by Hagrid’s ignoring her questions. As he was about to exit the house, the loud roar of an engine sounded and a motorbike only rivaled in size by Hagrid landed in front of the house. A tall man with shoulder length black hair stepped off of it. Rose ran towards him as fast as her little legs could carry her.

“Padfoot! Padfoot!” He picked her up.

“Hello Rosie.” He then noticed Hagrid which was a great feat not to have done already. Becoming serious (no pun intended) he did what he had obviously come to do in the first place. “Hagrid is it true?”

“Yes, I’m ’fraid” Sirius’s eyes filled with tears but his expression of being punched in the gut quickly changed to one of anger and hatred.

“Damnit that rat!”

“Scuse me fer askin’, but what rat?”

“It’s nothing. Listen Hagrid, let me take Harry, I’m his godfather, I’ll take care of him.”

“I’m sorry Sirius but there’s nuthin’ I can do, I’m workin’ off Dumbledore’s orders. He said to bring him to some muggles in Surrey, Lily’s sister”

“Please Hagrid” he pleaded but to no avail, Hagrid just shook his head. “Well at least take him on my motorbike.”

“A’right, sure, thanks.”

“Of course, bring it back once you’re done”

“O’ course” Hagrid said goodbye to the two and flew off on the borrowed bike.

“Sirius?” 

“Yes Rose?”

“You’ll take me away right?”

“Of course, I just have a little errand to run but before you know it I’ll be back to take you to my house, and you’ll get to see Moony.”

“Ok”

“I’ll be back soon, goodbye”

“Goodbye Padfoot” and he apparated away with a loud pop. She went back inside and went to bed.

She waited all day long for Sirius to come back. She waited so long that day that the muggles noticed the house. A small group of about ten of them walked down the path before a small girl ran out of the house, at first excited but upon scanning their faces she was disappointed and shy. After some deliberation she was sent home that night with a Mrs. Acacia Barrett and her husband Paul. Rose still waited for Sirius to come back, but he didn’t not that day, or the next, or even the one after that. No one ever came back for Rose Lily Potter.


	2. Ghost of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one begins the story, here we have the first sightings of our main character. It's very short, I'm sorry.

10 years later - book one

After waiting for their eyes to adjust to the light aboveground, Harry and Hagrid set off down the street. They were mere feet from the steps leading to the bank when Harry saw a girl, lurking in the shadows near Gringotts, a figure whom Harry couldn’t seem to recall but somehow seemed familiar. She was watching him with desolate eyes, which begged for something. What this was, Harry didn’t know. Her hair was a blazing red, her clothes too small, and her face dirty. She seemed older than him but not more than a few inches taller. He knew he’d seen her before but he could not recall the situation. He noticed Hagrid far ahead, much farther than it would have been had he been with an average sized person. Realizing that if he didn’t sprint than he would be alone, he took one last fleeting glance at her, and ran after him. She watched this, and contradictory to him, she knew exactly who he was. She’d seen his green eyes, they were just like before and just like last time, he’d been pulled away by the friendly half-giant, on the orders of the clever (if a bit mad) headmaster of Hogwarts.

:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:

That night Harry stayed up late browsing through his course books, his new purchases stacked upon each other throughout the room. He eventually fell asleep with his head in A History Of Magic. He had another nightmare about the night Voldemort came. Now that he knew the truth, there was more. As usual, he saw the green light, felt the agonizing pain in his head, and the relatively recent epiphany of a high, frigid laugh before the aforementioned events. This time though, after these frightening events there was something more, a voice. Small and comforting, it seemed feminine, and very young. She whispered something comforting, though what it was he didn’t know. And he remembered something else, a mane of fiery red hair, and wide hazel eyes. He awoke suddenly the next morning, with a quickly fading memory of his dream, and like most who had seen or met her before, having forgotten about the girl in Diagon Alley. 

:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:

Book 2

They sat in the common room finishing the footlong essay that Snape had assigned them, or rather, Hermione did the essay and Harry and Ron begged for her help as it sprinkled lightly outside. They were unsuccessful past getting her to correct them after they were done and had continued to procrastinate in the form of a game of chess. They looked up as a girl in approached the corner they occupied of the common room. They’d seen her around before, she was in the same year as the twins. She was short for her age and her crimson hair had gotten her mistaken for a Weasley daughter more than once. The fact that she was constantly surrounded by two of the brothers and that her belongings were in less-than-stellar condition, did not do much to change this misconception. She never seemed to care. 

“Hello, I’m Rose.” she noted, extending her hand. She looked serious with her lips pursed and uninviting eyes, besides this, she acted polite.

“Hello Rose, I’m Harry, and these are my friends, Ron and Hermione.” he took her hand and shook it. She nodded to the two, giving a small smile to each and shaking their hands.

“I don’t know if this does you any good at all. It probably doesn’t, but, I think that the people who think that you are the Heir Of Slytherin are totally mad.” 

“Thank you, it’s good to know that someone does.”

“Have a nice afternoon.” she nodded curtly and turned on her heels, heading towards the opposite corner where Fred, George and Lee were already huddled over an old piece of parchment which looked oddly like the writing on it was moving.


	3. The Kids Aren't Alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, sorry about that. This is one of the only two chapters named for Fall Out Boy songs

Rose laughed, a grin spreading across her face. An attempt to ignore the hunger pains in her stomach. Fred and George had spent the day regaling her and Lee with tales from their summer in Egypt. She just kept pushing them to tell more stories, hoping that when they eventually got to her holidays that her fake account of her Summer would get interrupted by the bustle of getting on the carriages and watching the sorting. At school she had full meals and a warm bed and she couldn’t wait to make full use of this, Summer was tough. She’d liked school more than the holidays from the moment that she stepped into the meandering halls of the castle. She had only decided to go at first because it couldn’t have been worse than where she was, and she was right, it was so much better.

The view from the train, contrary to the mood of the passengers, was dark and dismal. Rain plummeted to the ground in thick sheets and the crash of thunder rang through the night. This did not diminish from the twins deluge of excess excitement. The chocolate frogs that Lee and the twins had bought earlier had run out moments ago and they all had slight sugar highs. 

“So Lee, what mischief did you get into this Summer?”

“Well I went to-” The train jolted to a stop, cutting him off and the lamps flickered into inky pitch black. The air became biting cold. Ice climbed its way onto the the outside of the window with lacy, spiked claws. The group stiffened, grins slipping off their faces, flashes of fear shown for just a moment before it was replaced with looks of determination. They had involuntarily taken up fighting stances, and instinctively raised their wands.

“What the bloody hell is that?” whispered the twins.

“Don’t know, but be quiet, we might get a clue from hearing it.”

“I’m check outside” Lee said, moving outside of the compartment.

“No!” Rose stage whispered, grabbing his arm roughly and pulling him back. “How stupid are you? It might blow your face off! Don’t open the door, lock it!” Lee was shocked at the firm nature of her orders. He hesitated, but at the frantic look on her face, and sureness of the instruction, which was almost as though she had done it before, he hurriedly locked the door. 

She actually seemed scared, Rose had never been scared before, she was pure ice, even when you knew her she was always confident and blocked off. She was never nervous. The three boys often joked that her seeming lack of most emotion and ability to sneak around more inconspicuously then any of them would make her a wonderful thief (she hated hated these jokes). The three redheads had their wands pointed at the door when he turned back and did the same. They heard doors open and close but it came quickly, and was coming nearer. They felt cold fill their bodies and a somber melancholy became palpable in the air. Memories flew through their minds. Bad memories. The door opened and the cold became an almost solid part of the air. Floating figures shrouded in moldy black cloaks came through the door which seemed to have opened with no contact, as if it were never locked. The mood and temperature continued to plummet, as well as Rose, whose knees gave out. She dropped into her seat shaking, her wand held limply in her hand. A scabbed and rotting hand reached out of the cloak and motioned as if scanning the room. The figure turned around and went back into the hall whence it came. A couple of minutes later the creatures left the train to continue its journey as if they had never been there, with the lights flickering back to life. 

Rose stared straight ahead, tears streaming down her face. She was shaking and clammy, try as Lee, George, and Fred might, being quite disturbed themselves, they could not seem to reach her. She was in Godric’s Hollow, watching her mother fall and see her murderer turn on Harry.

“Rose, Rose? Anyone there? What’s wrong?”

“Lee what was that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Wasn’t there a teacher in Ron’s compartment?”

“Yeah, I’ll go find him” Lee exited the apartment and made his way past a few compartments before he came across the man he was looking for, walking towards him. He was thin, with robes that had lost their prime years ago, sandy brown hair, his face had a small spattering of scars, and he looked tired. “Are you the new defense against the dark arts teacher?”

“Yes, is something wrong?”

“I think so, my friend Rose was very shaken up after those things came...”

“Yes dementors are foul creatures. What was her reaction?”

“Well she’s just staring ahead and crying, she won’t respond when we talk to her, and she’s all shaky.”

“My, that is very severe.”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She’ll probably be fine, how about we go find your compartment.” Lee walked to the compartment, the defense teacher in tow. When they returned, Fred and George jumped to their feet.

“Did you find him?” 

“Yeah, he’s right here.” Lee moved into the compartment leaving the professor in the doorway.

“I’m professor Lupin. Now I’ll assume that this is Rose?” at his voice, she looked up narrowing her eyes suspiciously in recognition.

“Yes”

“She’s a little better” the twins noted, she had stopped crying at this point and was now shaky, and lost in her thoughts. Presumably not good ones.

“Well it doesn’t seem to be too severe, she’ll be fine. Now here all of you eat this, chocolate is the only cure for dementors.” He had pulled out a bar of chocolate, and started to pass out pieces of it. They all took the sweet they were offered and felt the warmth that had left them when the dementors came return. 

“What do dementors do?”

“They are the guards of Azkaban, they feed on good memories, leaving a person with only their worst experiences. The worse the experiences, the worse the reaction. I don’t think I ever caught your full name Rose.”

“Rose Barrett” It was the first thing she had said and her response he paused for a moment, scanning her, he could swear that he’d seen her before. Judging by her slightly resentful gaze, he certainly had. 

“Have we met?”

“Now we have.”

“Yes, we have” he noted looking amused. “ I was on my way to have a chat with the conductor, so I suppose I will see you in the near future.” As he left he considered something, had she met him on a full moon? He dismissed this as impossible almost immidiately

Choruses of ‘thank you professor’ and ‘goodbye’ followed him out of the compartment and they all settled back into their seats. They stayed silent for a while, a rarity in this group, each absorbing the information they had gained. ‘The worse the memories, the worse the reaction.’ they had never known much about Rose. She never talked about her life much. She always became distant during conversations about going home, or she tended to ask others about what they had done. They knew nothing about her except what she was like at Hogwarts. What had she been through before Hogwarts? What had happened to their friend?

Rose was in a whole other place entirely. She stared at the floor of the compartment so hard that you would have thought she could see through it. They had met before, she had waited for him. She had spent days sitting in that horrid house with the Barretts, waiting for him, or Sirius, anyone at all really. She thought of the night she was left in the graveyard, her left sleeve sopping with blood. She grasped her arm tightly, thinking of the disgusting scar, the terrible word that she would be forever branded with.

“Wouldn’t want to be in Azkaban.” Lee said, weakly attempting humor. They all laughed dryly at this. She would have thought this was funny, though, she knew that Sirius Black was innocent. They reestablished their witty banter from their, Rose paying attention to none of it, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Hogwarts for another year.


	4. Fear of Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I didn't put this up sooner, my computer broke and then Amazon sent the wrong one so I had to order another one and return the one they sent. This is the four (Rose, Lee, Fred, and George)'s first DADA lesson with Remus, their is some serious language and possibly upsetting violence here so proceed with light caution. The chapter title is a Passenger song. Please add comments at the bottom and if you like it a kudos and without further adiue (I hope that's how it's spelled) enjoy

“Settle down now. So this year you will be studying dangerous magical objects. Take out your wands and follow me.” the fifth year class followed Professor Lupin out of the defense classroom and up to the seventh floor corridor excitement sparking in the air, they never had practical lessons. He stopped at a very odd looking tapestry of trolls doing ballet and began to pace. The class looked on in confusion.  
  
“What are you doing Professor?” came two voices at once. He stopped and looked up.  
  
“Opening the door.” he noted simply and at that began to pace again. The class hummed with whispers along the lines of ‘he’s mad’ or ‘there isn’t any door here’. Lupin could have sworn that someone even said ‘this wasn’t on the map’. But then the students gasped as the wall in front of them opened into a door. It was small and simple at first but as it grew bigger and more detailed it was clear that this room had been there just as long as the rest of the castle. He stopped pacing and they entered a large empty room, at the back stood a mirror and beside it a wooden trunk that appeared to be shivering. It was tall, dusty, and had a mysterious inscription running along its frame, ‘erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi’.  
  
“Today we have a double period and will devote it to a small introduction of the drawbacks of fear and desire. This is mainly to prepare you for the rest of our classes it will be be the hardest class of the year as you will be combating your greatest fears and desires. This is the mirror of erised, can anyone tell me what it does?” The class shuffled their feet. “Ok then. We’ll do this.” he conjured a blackboard and copied the inscription onto it, backwards. “Anyone?” Rose raised her hand.  
  
“Yes, Rose correct?”  
  
“Yes, it shows you your heart’s desire.”  
“Exactly! how did you know?”  
  
“The inscription. If you turn it around and change where the spaces in-between the words are located it reads ‘I show not your face but your heart’s desire.’”  
  
“Very good! ten points to Gryffindor. Now, you will have thirty seconds to take in the image you see, and then thirty seconds to turn away from it. If you can resist the pull of your greatest desire than the tempting prospects of being a rich and powerful Death-Eater are nothing to worry about. So who want to go first? Ms. Spinnet?” Alicia stepped forward, the class parting for her to go forward. “Stand right there, yes there and I will tell you when you are to turn away.” she nodded and turned toward the mirror. Everything stood still even the trunk stopped shaking and they watched for her reaction, the students saw nothing but from Remus’s point of view her face held a peaceful smile.  
  
“Go.” the class waited, struggle and tension filling the silent room at this single word. With a few seconds left she clenched her fists and turned away. A few more people stood in front of the mirror, the reaction quite similar, some muttered about something or other, and some took a bit longer to turn away but generally similar. Those who had finished gathered at the far wall to discuss the images in the mirror, some yearning and others clearly fearful. George had just gone when Rose was called.  
  
“Ms. Barrett, you next.” she nodded and stepped forward. The class had watched, each with baited breathe and this was no different, they stared as she walked towards the mirror. She stopped directly in front of it, but even from where Lupin was standing there was no change in her usual expression. If there was any difference it was the slightly depressing look in her eyes, almost remembering something she never had. Only those who really knew her could see it, only Lee and the twins to be exact.  
  
“Do you see anything?”  
  
“Yes, has it been thirty seconds?” Remus waited for a moment.  
  
“Sure.” without hesitation she turned away. Gasps echoed in the empty room at the immediate nature of her departure. The mirror showed a person’s greatest desire, the ease at which she walked away was astounding. Lupin stood shell-shocked for a moment before shaking himself and calling up another student.  
  
While most of the students stood on one side of the room, dreamily discussing the wonders of the mirror she stalked to the other side of the room and slid down the wall eyes pointed straight forward. She watched the class take place but saw nothing as she absentmindedly the hidden word on her left arm, she didn’t even pull up her sleeve. At this point it was muscle memory, a thing that she did when she relived the memories. Fred, George, and Lee had a quiet conversation going slightly apart from the others and they all constantly glanced at Rose for some sign of, well they didn’t know what they were looking for but anything at all really. Some type of awareness, emotion, or life. They were hesitant to approach though, unsure what to say. Fred was the first to work up the courage. He walked over, kneeled down and put his hand on her shoulder before inquiring softly.  
  
“Rose?” the moment his hand touched her she jerked away hard, eyes momentarily giving away that she was terrified at the mere touch. He drew his hand away slowly. She took a deep breath and straightened.  
  
“I’m so sorry. You ok?”  
  
“Fine, what is it?”  
  
“Nothing, just wanted to make sure you were ok. You looked a little shaken up.”  
  
“I’m fine.” Fred hesitated for a moment before leaving her to her thoughts. The other two noticed her strange reaction and spent the next few minutes interrogating him. They got nowhere. After about ten minutes everyone had taken a turn at the mirror and it was time to begin on whatever was in the trunk.  
  
“Now, come back over here everyone” the class gathered around him the occasional whisper floating through the air. “This is an exercise that I am doing with all my students this year, we will be learning the technique to fight a boggart. Does anyone know what this is?” the theatrical crickets could almost be heard in the background. “Really?! Hogwarts is more behind on defense than I thought. Well anyway, a boggart is a shape-shifting creature that can transform itself into what it’s attacker fears most. No one knows what it itself looks like. Boggarts are amortal, meaning that they simply exist, they are not born or technically killed. The thing that makes one disappear is laughter, so I want you to think of what you fear most and try to make it seem funny. Everyone got it?” the room nodded. “Now say this incantation with me, no wands just the incantation, Riddikulus.”  
  
“Riddikulus”  
  
“The trick is to concentrate on what will make it funny. So form a line, we will go in the same order as earlier and you will have three minutes until I step in to help.”  
  
The room became an odd separation of cacophonies of howls, giggles, and snorts blended with moments of chilling fear until it was unclear which was which. Death eaters tripped on roller skates and trolls became miniature kittens.  
  
Rose was only half paying attention, the same thought clawed at the back of her mind, ripping thoughts to shreds and muddling up the neat looking place that was her mind, how to make him funny. Her mind was one of those rooms where you just shove all the useless stuff in a closet or under a bed and forget about it when it has to look nice. At this moment she felt like somehow something had started letting rabid emotions eat at her composure and confuse her. ‘How do I make him funny?!’  
  
“Your turn Rose.” She gulped and stepped forward.  
  
The Boggart waited a moment before changing from laughing Fred into a man. To most of the class he seemed ordinary enough; average height, about forty years old, with graying black hair, and a pointed face. He wore slightly worn jeans and a white tee shirt. There were two odd things about him though. He seemed to be soaked in coffee and he was holding a small red pocket knife in his right hand. Most of the class furrowed their brows, confused about what could be fearful about this ordinary man. Rose on the other hand took a full step back the moment he appeared lifting her wand higher and raising her other arm to in front of her abdomen as though trying to shield herself.  
  
“Ah, of course the freak. Don’t point that thing at me freak! How dare you! Me and my wife took you in when your freak parents died and the people who came back for that freak brother you always talked about left you at that house and yet like the bitch you are you have the nerve to point that freakish magic thing at me!!!” Rose had winced every time he’d said freak and as he spoke he progressed from stage-whispering to yelling and as the class continued to observe they saw that she stood there absorbing it like a sponge, just taking in the insults. “WELL GUESS WHAT, EVEN THE FREAKS FORGOT ABOUT YOU!!! EVEN THE FREAKS KNOW THAT IT'S A MISTAKE TO CARE ABOUT YOU!!!!!” The huge room echoed the insults and gasps omitted from the crowd of fifteen year old onlookers and the boggart dropped back down to a threatening whisper. “Your family is better off dead than having you as family. Now we’ve already cut freak onto your left arm with this little beauty, what should we put on the right?” He raised the little insignificant looking knife and smiled menacingly as Rose trembled even worse than before. “Bitch, whore, slut, cunt, or maybe just the classic, freak.” At this she couldn’t take it anymore.  
  
“RIDDIKULUS” At her bellow lines began to appear on his skin, shining red with blood. After a few moments the group realized that the lines were words. His arms were flaked with ‘abusive’ or ‘filthy’ and his neck was embroidered with threaded scars spelling ‘muggle’. The crowning jewel however was on his forehead where in capital letters the word ‘dick’ dripped blood into his eyes as his shirt began to turn red and the mans screaming became more and more etched onto the backs of their skulls. Those in the room could almost feel it being scratched into their bones. The class was horrified at the show but Rose wasn’t. Rose smirked weakly her eyes shining with tears she didn't have. “Payback is sweet.” she muttered under her breath and she chuckled darkly, her voice shaking slightly. She then moved aside and the next person went as she retreated. The class was frozen in place with their jaws on the floor, who the hell was that man? What had he done to make her find such an evil thing humorous?  
  
Fred, Lee, and George had been the only ones listening to what the man had said and pulled through their shock to figure out what had happened. Rose was resting in a corner curled in a ball with her hair even brighter against the cream colored wall she leaned on. She continued to shake and watched the three boys approach with gratitude and apprehension. They cared, she knew that or maybe just hoped it, but if they asked questions then what could she do?  
  
They sat around her eyes constantly gazing right at her or averted to the floor.  
  
“Who was he?” all three boys spoke in unison, concern laced in their voices and twisted with fear.  
  
“No one who matters anymore.”  
  
“But who-”  
  
“I can’t right now.” the boys exchanged glances and silently agreed that they had lost the battle but would win the war. Someday they would know who that was, but not today. Rose was clearly not ready and maybe they weren’t either.  
  
Rose leaned her head against George tiredly, and they forgot to pay attention to the class as they slowly developed into a platonic amassment of people, each leaning on the other and simultaneously holding them up in silence.


	5. The World Is Ugly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a small conversation that takes place between Harry, Rose, Ron, Fred, and George after Sirius makes his way into Gryffindor Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter posted until I get back from Israel, If you have any wishes for me to put in the western wall please write them in the comments and tell me if you enjoyed the story so far! thanks

Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Rose sat around the fire together the day after Sirius Black found his way into Gryffindor tower. Harry was livid while the Weasley brothers were still in slight shock. They’d almost lost Ginny last year and while they generally kept in good spirits they did care for the safety of their brother. The five were the last in the common room and they sat stony faced in a vigilant silence, Hermione had grown tired what with her mounds of homework and Lee, though understanding had run out of things to say and gotten bored. Harry leaned on the arm of the couch, Fred next to him sandwiching Ron with George, and Rose on an armchair knees pulled up to her chest. For some reason she had spent the last day almost as enraged as Harry, the twins couldn’t put a finger on why. Finally the green eyed boy cracked.

“HOW DARE HE?!” He cried into the empty room. “HOW DARE HE GO AFTER YOU AND NOT JUST FACE ME HIMSELF, IT’S MY PARENTS HE BETRAYED?!?!” 

“He’s scared.” Replied Ron. “He knows that if you killed You-Know-Who you could easily kill him.”

“He was probably looking for you-” 

“Make sure you don’t try the same” finished George.

“I wonder if Hogwarts is safe anymore, if he can get into the castle without being found who knows what he can do.” the other four simmered on Ron’s concluding  
thought before turning to Rose.

“What do you think Rose?” the twins questioned in unison. After some hesitation she sighed, turning back towards the fire.

“Take everything you hear, with an open mind and a grain of salt.” She then stared straight into Harry’s eyes at this point, bright green meeting hazel that was no longer, as it had been at some point, friendly and warm, like wood soaked to make sure the fire can’t catch it. “If we’ve learned anything in these past couple of years we know that he ministry is nothing if not unreliable.” She jerked her eyes away, back to the fire, she hated the memories. The reflection of the flames danced in her eyes, she looked tired. It was true, what everyone said, he did have Lily’s eyes. Looking into his eyes reminded her of that night. Of the words, ‘protect him’ she couldn’t do it. Ron pulled out Scabbers, and she resisted the urge to kill that disgusting creature, that lying cheating murderer. But as usual, no one would ever understand her thoughts or actions so she continued to glare at the fire, destruction in her heart.


	6. Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I was in Israel, and then I was sick and then I was lazy. This chapter is a small blurb about the DA, more specifically Patronuses. It's short but I hope you like it, the chapter title is a MCR song and without further ado, please enjoy.

The heavy heat caused by the fireplace in the Room of Requirement was completely forgotten by its occupants in their excitement. Today they were practicing the Patronus charm and spirits were high. Silvery clouds and the occasional animal floating through the air and wonder tinged the faces of the students. Harry was making his way around the room reminding everyone to concentrate when he noticed that one person had made less progress than Neville, whom he had moments ago congratulated on a puff of silver. Rose Barrett stood next to one of the puffy couches lost in thought. He made his way over, she was a talented witch, and a seventh year so he was quite bewildered by what could be causing the setback.

“Hey Rose, something wrong?”

“I can’t get the hang of this one.”

“Ok, well maybe you need a stronger memory, take some more time to think of one. Do you have time to do work on it after class?”

“The only homework that I really need to do is for Umbitch.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

She nodded and he continued to make his rounds. About half an hour later, all were congratulated on a job well done and sent on their way in pairs or groups of three.

“So, have you decided on a memory yet?”

“Not really…” She trailed off and stared at her knees.

“Can you not figure out which is the strongest?” She looked up at him again, and for once her gaze was not intense or cold. She looked at him softly, sadness lacing her smile as she answered.

“I tried a few of my strongest, but from the way you were describing it I know what’s wrong.”

“What?”

“My happiest memories aren’t happy enough. They don't make me happy. They all remind me of bad things, so I can't focus.”

Harry felt sick.


	7. Secrets, part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is split in 2 parts. Here Rose spills her secrets (at least some) over Christmas Holidays. The twins have become less patient. the title is a Mary Lambert song, I will admit this is not my best writing so please leave comments to help me make it better and enjoy.

“Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley.” Rose smiled as she was served some potatoes.

“Of course dear, Fred and George have told me so much about you I had to meet you for myself”

“Well thanks anyway, I know you’ve had some recent complications.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Would you like some mashed potatoes Harry?” Mrs. Weasley bustled around the kitchen serving everyone dinner before sitting down herself. “So Rose, don’t your parents miss having you home for Christmas?”

“No.”

“Why not? Don’t they miss you?”

“I don’t expect they do, haven’t seen ‘em going on eight years. We had some differences of opinion so I stay at the Leaky Cauldron for Summer Holidays.”

“How do they survive?” Molly was scandalized, her children were so important to her .

Hate. It’s more common than it sounds, Muggle parents with an ignorance of magic choose hatred over their children.” She directed her eyes at Harry and looked back at her food when he locked eyes with her.

Mrs. Weasley sat in silence, flabbergasted by the idea of doing that to a child. The girl spoke so clinically, as though it were nothing. Looking back and forth between her children and the short redhead she decided it. Rose would make an excellent Weasley.

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“Ron, you’re standing on my toe.”

“Sorry ‘Mione.”

The landing above the main floor of Grimmauld place was packed with the teenagers who occupied it. Sirius and Remus had taken Harry into the Black family tree room to discuss something secretive. Naturally the whole house wanted to know what, and Fred and George had made it easy. Their stash of extendable ears had been replenished at school and were the obvious solution. So Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred, Rose, and George were huddled around one of them listening to Harry talk about the Dursleys and his parents. The decor of the building seemed so fitting to the collective mood. The three downstairs had gone contemplatively quiet for a while before Harry spoke.

“Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to know someone who knew them as parents. Not someone who saw them be parents but who knew what it was like to be their kid. I used to dream as a kid that some family of mine would come and take me away and tell me stories about them.”

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were hanging onto every word and biting back tears. They didn’t notice Rose step backwards from the extendable ear slowly, like it was a bomb with trembling hands. She eventually got to the end of the landing and she descended them quickly and silently, she was good at that, sneaking around was second nature for her, if not first. Her hand clutched the banister in a vice-like grip. Fred and George were always aware of their friends and inconspicuously slipped the extendable ear into Ron’s hand (he didn’t even notice since he was so focused on the goings on downstairs) and followed her just as silently. 

They ended up following her into the kitchen where she sat, knees pulled up to her chest and face in her arms.

“Rose?” Fred whispered, this type of thing didn’t happen often with her, but when it did it could last for days, and that’s if her friends were gentle. She looked up.

“Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter.” She averted her eyes and focused on what was apparently a very interest piece of floor.

“Rose what is it?”

“Nothing, I told you.” She was forceful, but the boys were determined.

“That is not true. Rose it has been seven years and you still won’t tell us about anything. Tell us!” She stood.

“NO.”

“WHY NOT?” She dropped to a fearful whisper and crossed her arms to stop her hands from shaking. The twins couldn’t tell.

“Because if I tell you, you won’t believe me, and if you believe me you can’t help anyway.”

“You know how hard it is to surprise us.”

“Oh believe me, this shit would make your freckles disappear.” two pairs of eyebrows shot up to identical hairlines. The brothers looked at each other and the ultimatum was created

“Rose, we have to know what this is about or we can’t be friends anymore.” George spoke softly but she was a deer in the headlights. She couldn’t tell them, but she needed them, but she needed the support they offered to help her with the thing she couldn’t tell them. She leaned against the wall and slid down it, her head in her hands.  
The twins stood statue still, afraid one small movement would trigger a violent reaction from the woman. They knew that if she didn’t tell them what it was they would have to go through with it. They were scared, but they knew that they needed to do that at some point if these secrets continued.

“I...fine. Fine. I’d sit, this is a long, very confusing story.” The two sat on the floor, despite a table with chairs being a foot away. Rose took a deep breath.

“I guess I should start from the beginning. I’m not a muggle born. I wasn’t even born with the last name Barrett. My given name is Rose...Lily...Potter..” The twins blinked confusedly, an unusual occurrence for the quick-witted boys. 

“Wha-what?”

“My middle name came from my mother, Lily. I’m sure you can piece together where the last name comes from.”  
“So Harry does have a living relative, and he doesn’t know?”

“Yeah.”

“Where did you get Barrett?”

“My adoptive ‘parents’ changed my name legally, so even according to Hogwarts letters I’m Rose Barrett.”

“How did no one find out? they must remember you!”

“You might have noticed, the collective memory of the wizarding world is very selective. Those who knew I existed thought I’d died on Halloween, those who didn’t, never heard of me. No one noticed me in the wake of collecting and protecting the Boy-Who-Lived.”

"How did you survive?" George was slightly awestruck

"That's a story for another day."

“Where did you go?”

“I was adopted by some Muggles. The things I told your mum were true though. Those muggles really despised magic. I was in the library before Christmas holidays started. Barrett meant strife in Middle-English, quite fitting.”

“Who was that man, the boggart?” Fred suspected something but needed it confirmed. Rose thought for a long while before answering quite reluctantly.

“Paul Barrett.” So many thing had just been unearthed that at this revelation the inquisitive boys felt punched in the gut. 

“What did he do to you?” They said it simultaneously with gritted teeth, what had that bastard done to become her biggest fear?

“Let’s not get off topic.”

“What?!”

“I’m explaining what is wrong, nothing more. You see, Harry would never believe it if I told him I was his sister. Even if he did I would never live up to his fantasies of a relative. I don’t have the stories about our parents that he want to hear. And at the same time he is suffering over who they were. I can’t do anything to help or be there for him, and I haven’t been able too for any of my life, that hurts more than anything else because clearly it affects him.” Her words were frantic and distraught, the cold damp air vibrated with them.

“Of course you can help him.”

“How?” She was incredulous, she’d tried to figure out how for years, they couldn’t possibly do it in a few seconds.

“Tell him. Don’t lie anymore. He would want to know.” She shook her head helplessly, but her friends were done taking no for an answer. “Come on, we have news.”

“No, please.” George had taken her arm and pulled her up. She begged and pleaded but he was shockingly strong and she couldn’t get her hand out of his vice-like grip. Rose was still trembling from when this had started and a small tear, her first in years shining like a jewel on her cheek. she was led right into the room where Harry, Remus, and Sirius were sat looking, serious.


	8. Secrets, part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a continuation of the last chapter

“What’s going on?” Remus and sirius had sprung from the edge of their chairs and the end of the sentence Harry had been saying faded, into the memories of all, eternally forgotten. At the sight of a crying female the three men still unaware of the situation were immediately anxious.

“Rose has something she would like to say.” The twins lengthily pronounced each word with indulgent satisfaction. Remus and Sirius frowned, slowly and unnoticeably drawing their wands, their first thoughts were along the lines of her being a spy. The twins were clearly proud to have found out whatever this was and were continuing to be adamant in their desire to join the Order.

“What exactly is that?” George put a temporary sticking charm on an armchair and had Rose sit, slightly more brusquely than was expected by those out of the loop. She, after being pushed into the chair wiped a tear from her cheek and glared stoically at the small crowd surrounding her. 

“Well, if I’m gonna be forced to spill all my secrets in a day I won’t do it more than twice. If you want everyone to know than you better go find ‘em.” 

“Ok what the hell is going on?!”

“Harry I am sure you will find out soon enough, I’m assuming I can’t get up till I’ve told you all of my life’s story down to the last detail.”

“You won’t.”

“I will rally the troops then.” Remus slipped his wand back into his pocket and left the room. Outside they heard him calling up the stairs for Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Molly. Arthur was resting at the time and he decided t was best to ask Molly before waking him. The new arrivals got seats and it was decided that Mr. Weasley would be informed on all important revelations. They all entered looking moderately confused and got settled into various couches and armchairs.

“What’s going on?” Hermione interjected before anyone else could.

“Maybe, Rose, Fred, or George will be kind enough to explain?”

“Yes I suppose-”

“-Maybe we could.”

“Rose?” They finished together.

“Nice little gathering isn’t this.” She paused. “Eh, tough crowd. Well, umm. To some of you this should come to no surprise. Others, will be dumbfounded. I guess I should just say it umm.” Her eyes shot glances at all those in the room, surveying how they would react and landing somewhere near Harry’s feet. “I’m not who you think. Well actually, I sort of am, but not really.”

“Are you a spy?” Fred and George giggled. “So no?”

“No.” Sirius relaxed, as well as everyone else.

“So, um, too the important things. I’m not Rose. Well I am Rose, but not Rose Barrett?”

“What are you saying?” Ron needed someone to clear this up.

“I’m adopted. My parents died when I was three and my adopted family changed my name to Rose Barrett. My actual parents were magic, and quite significant to the first war. When I was born, I was given the name Rose Lily Potter.” The room echoed with the expected gasps.

“No.” 

“I’m not lying Harry.”

“Yes you are! If you were telling the truth someone would have told me. If you were telling the truth you wouldn’t be nervous. If you were telling the truth then I would have also been adopted.” 

“Do you think the wizarding world is eager to say something like ‘oh right you’ve got a sister, sorry we forgot to tell you about her after 14 years? Would anyone not be nervous to do this? I'm nervous because now I need to try and make you like me!” No response. “Do you think Dumbledore would have let his precious golden boy out of his sight?”

“Golden boy, really?”

“You might think me immature for calling you his golden boy or the Boy-Who-Lived but frankly I don’t care and I will continue too.” Harry was fuming and totally off guard at the same time.

“That’s very rude.” Hermione took on a tone of complacent superiority.

“Shut up know-it-all.” The three best friends along with Mrs. Weasley were shocked.

“Don’t call-”

“I will call her whatever I bloody well want to! Now if we could get back to the task at hand maybe this would be over with sooner. Now I am sure you are all wondering how I didn’t grow up with Harry?” The subdued nods she received spurred her to continue. “Well, I could tell it, but I’m sure Padfoot would be just as happy to oblige.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well I’m sure you would know, as you were there.”

“What are you trying to imply?

“That you were there. But as it seems you don’t want to tell it, I will. After they died we waited for a day at the house, I mean what else was there? And the next evening Hagrid came to take Harry away. Sirius arrived as they were about to leave.” She turned to the animagus. “And you begged to take Harry away, practically got on your knees. But Hagrid followed orders and left. You were about to leave when I asked to come with you.” Looking back at Harry she smirked, she knew that what she was about to say would make his thoughts about Sirius change forever, and was glad to expose his ‘can do no wrong facade’ to the jaded boy. “He promised to come back and told me to wait. What I didn’t know at the time was that He had gone after Wormtail. I waited for a day and some muggles found me. I was adopted by them within weeks. I waited for four years with them. Then four more. And after that, another four. In my fifth year at Hogwarts you wanted to do the exact same thing as you had 12 years before. Get Harry and kill the motherfucking rat.”

By the end of her tirade everyone’s jaw was glued to the floor but Remus recovered quickly.

“Sirius feels guilty enough for the events of that night, don’t pile it on.”

“SHUT UP MOONY IT’S OBVIOUS THAT THE ONLY REASON YOU’RE DEFENDING HIM IS THAT YOU STILL LOVE HIM!” Rose went quiet. “Anyway Sirius only feels bad for being in Azkaban when Harry was growing up. Not for leaving me.”

“Wait what?” Sirius answered Harry through gritted teeth.

“That’s an irrelevant and very long story.”

“Anyway, you only helped my point Moony. He made a rash decision to go after a death eater alone, not tell anyone, not take care of the three year old in need of help and all because of anger that he let get out of control. He was irresponsible and unthinking.” As Sirius watched her speak he saw a two year old girl, and suddenly he began to connect the empty young woman to the little girl whom he had promised to help. This didn’t stop his meek attempts at self defense.

“In my defense my best friend had just been killed. I had reason to be angry.”

“So do I. I have reason to be angry at Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, even Dumbledore. But I don’t make rash decisions because of it.”

“I was grieving.” He was becoming pathetic.

“And I wasn’t? You aren’t allowed to feel sorry for yourself Padfoot. This was your fault and you aren’t the only one who was hurt when they died. You were the only one who tried to kill a man because of it. Half of the tragedy is in the reaction.”

“I…” Rose raised her eyebrows in fake expectancy and Sirius gave up. They sat in silence absorbing everything for a long time before the delicate silence was ripped apart by the youngest Weasley.

“How did no one find out?” Ginny spoke for the first time since they had sat down.

“After I was adopted my name was legally changed and that’s what it said on my Hogwarts letter, even Professor Mcgonagall didn't know. Very few people actually knew about me, and once my brother was the Boy-who-Lived no one really cared who I was.”

“What about Dumbledore?” She would have so much fun with crushing their godlike view of the manipulative old croon.

“I assume he told everyone who knew me and that didn't disappear off the face of the Earth." She glanced extremely obviously at Remus. "That I had died in order to draw attention away from me in order to focus on keeping an eye on Harry. He’s had people watching you since you were a baby, making sure you weren’t abandoned and such, I was never as lucky”

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing much. Are we done here?” George made to undo the spell but Harry spoke first.

“Why didn’t you look for me?”

“I tried. I wasn’t in any easier a position than you. But I swear, I tried to figure out how to get to you every day.”

“Take the spell off.” Harry buried his head in his hands and Ron and Hermione were silently supporting him from either side. "Did you you know that her last words to me were to protect you?" The entire occupancy of the house moved slowly, shellshocked by the news, each saw a different side, and each was hurt. The only person who wasn’t was Rose, she stood immediately and took one long look at her little brother before disappearing upstairs.

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After letting all the information they had just gotten sink in the twins made their way upstairs. As they passed Rose’s room they were drawn to the door. The two shared a looked that decided it, they would go in, she was still their friend after all, and one of the best pranksters they knew. Fred opened the door. What they found was much different than what they imagined. Rose sat with her knees to her chest on the bed with the sleeve of her left forearm rolled up. She peered at it and ran a small peice of glass over it, ignoring tears rolling down her cheeks. Fred and George followed her gaze to see a horrify sight. Stretched along the length of her arm was a large scar, it seemed that some haphazard sculptor had carved the word FREAK across her arm. But that was not all. It looked as though she’d try to cover it, with light marks barely matching the intensity. She’d tried and failed to make it illegible. George couldn’t contain his gasp at Rose looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing in anger as she clumsily tried to pull down her sleeve as quickly as possible, visibly panicking.

“Rose-”

“You will never speak of this. And maybe someday you could study the art of knocking on doors!” she snapped, she hadn’t meant to but she was grasping at slippery straws. The boys nodded in unison and left quietly. They never discussed what they had seen between themselves for their entire lives, others would when they found out, but they never would.


End file.
